Co-Founders of Vesoul’s Festival of Asian Cinemas to Be Honored in Busan

Martine and Jean-Marc Thérouanne, the co-founders of the Festival International des Cinémas d’Asie (Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas), will receive this year’s Korean Cinema Award at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), awarded for their contribution to the promotion of Korean cinema around the world.

Established in 1995 in the east of France, the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas has showcased Korean cinema in all its colors over the years and has often reserved its top prize, the Cycle d’Or, for Korean works. Previous winners include ZHANG Lu’s Grain in Ear in 2006, O Muel’s Jiseul in 2013 and LEE Yong-seung’s10 Minutes in 2014.

Speaking of the Thérouannes, BIFF festival director Jay JEON mentioned: “Every year in Busan, come rain or come shine, Martine and Jean-Marc were there from opening to closing. They were always asking people about films and you could see them the next day, at the theaters waiting in line to screen those films. I would shake my head in amazement, realizing what a privilege it is for us to have such strong advocates.”

Previous recipients of the Korean Cinema Award have included Thierry Frémaux, the director of the Cannes Film Festival and Wieland Speck, who runs the Panorama section at the Berlin International Film Festival.

This year’s BIFF will take place from October 4 to 13 and is set to open with Jero YUN’s Korean drama Beautiful Days.

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